Latest news with #England-and-Wales
South Wales Guardian
12 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Call from Senedd for legal action over rail and NI funding
The former Plaid Cymru leader warned that a decision to reclassify an Oxford-to-Cambridge railway line as an 'England-and-Wales' project cost Wales £360m in consequential funding. Mr Price asked Welsh ministers: 'If the change was made – as it ostensibly was – without consultation or adequate reasoning, what legal hurdles would the Welsh Government face in bringing a case and what remedies might be available?' Julie James, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government's chief legal adviser, replied: 'I don't think that's something we want to particularly take to court.' Ms James pointed to an extra £445m for rail in Wales in last week's UK Government spending review, welcoming a 'step change' in the level of investment in the past year. But Mr Price suggested the decision to reclassify East West Rail after four years as an England-only project created a legitimate expectation in legal terms for budget planning. During counsel general questions in the Senedd on June 17, he criticised the 'completely unexplained reversal' on the project which has 'no direct nor indirect benefit to Wales'. The shadow justice secretary said: 'That seems to me to amount to a breach of procedural fairness, or potentially even cross the Wednesbury threshold of irrationality because it's a perverse decision – and that's why no real explanation has been proffered.' He urged Welsh ministers to issue a pre-legal action letter compelling the UK Government to disclose the reasoning behind the reclassification. Ms James, who could not explain the four-year delay, replied: 'I don't think that that would be a good use of the government's resources at all.' The Labour politician told the Senedd national planning on heavy rail is done on a England-and-Wales basis, so any scheme in England would proceed as such. Mr Price also suggested legal action over a £72m shortfall in funding from UK ministers to cover the increased cost of national insurance contributions in the Welsh public sector. He told Senedd members the UK Government's statement of funding policy states devolved administrations should suffer no detriment from UK policy decisions.
South Wales Argus
13 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Call from Senedd for legal action over rail and NI funding
The former Plaid Cymru leader warned that a decision to reclassify an Oxford-to-Cambridge railway line as an 'England-and-Wales' project cost Wales £360m in consequential funding. Mr Price asked Welsh ministers: 'If the change was made – as it ostensibly was – without consultation or adequate reasoning, what legal hurdles would the Welsh Government face in bringing a case and what remedies might be available?' Julie James, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government's chief legal adviser, replied: 'I don't think that's something we want to particularly take to court.' Ms James pointed to an extra £445m for rail in Wales in last week's UK Government spending review, welcoming a 'step change' in the level of investment in the past year. But Mr Price suggested the decision to reclassify East West Rail after four years as an England-only project created a legitimate expectation in legal terms for budget planning. During counsel general questions in the Senedd on June 17, he criticised the 'completely unexplained reversal' on the project which has 'no direct nor indirect benefit to Wales'. The shadow justice secretary said: 'That seems to me to amount to a breach of procedural fairness, or potentially even cross the Wednesbury threshold of irrationality because it's a perverse decision – and that's why no real explanation has been proffered.' He urged Welsh ministers to issue a pre-legal action letter compelling the UK Government to disclose the reasoning behind the reclassification. Ms James, who could not explain the four-year delay, replied: 'I don't think that that would be a good use of the government's resources at all.' The Labour politician told the Senedd national planning on heavy rail is done on a England-and-Wales basis, so any scheme in England would proceed as such. Mr Price also suggested legal action over a £72m shortfall in funding from UK ministers to cover the increased cost of national insurance contributions in the Welsh public sector. He told Senedd members the UK Government's statement of funding policy states devolved administrations should suffer no detriment from UK policy decisions.
South Wales Argus
27-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Senedd committee on 'deeply concerning' welfare cuts
The Senedd's equality committee urged Liz Kendall, the UK work and pensions secretary, to address barriers disabled people face in accessing employment before reforming welfare. Ms Kendall announced the biggest shake-up to the welfare system in a generation in March, including plans to tighten up the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (Pip). In a letter to UK ministers, Jenny Rathbone, the Labour chair of the equality committee, wrote: 'We have been contacted by individuals and stakeholders expressing deep concern about the proposed changes and the impact they will have on local economies. 'We share these concerns and feel strongly that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – alongside employers and other tiers of government – must work much harder to get their houses in order before implementing reform. 'We urge the [UK] Government to acknowledge these concerns and keep the people affected at the heart of its decision-making.' In March, her committee concluded an inquiry into the disability employment gap, warning that too many people face physical and institutional barriers to the world of work. The gap, which is the difference of employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people, stood at 30 per cent in 2023/24 and has consistently been higher than elsewhere in Britain. As many as 275,000 people in Wales receive Pip and 110,000 who receive universal credit have limited capability for work-related activity, according to the Bevan Foundation. Senedd members on the equality committee wrote: 'The UK Government intends to introduce these changes at speed with changes to Pip and universal credit scheduled for August and November 2026 respectively." The committee's letter acknowledged the case for reform, with a 45 per cent increase in the number of people claiming health-related benefits since 2018/19. Impact assessments published by the UK Government – which were carried out on an England-and-Wales basis – were inadequate and lacked detail, according to the letter. Warning cuts will have a disproportionate impact on Wales, the letter stated: 'Policy in Practice suggests that they will hit Wales and north-east England the hardest. It estimates that nearly 190,000 people in Wales will be affected by the reforms, with a potential financial impact of £470m. 'According to their analysis, four of the 10 worst-affected local authorities in Great Britain are in Wales: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly."
